The Presidential Ideas Festival: Democracy in Dialogue will convene elected leaders, scholars, policymakers, business and media leaders, and students to drive a thoughtful discussion on the state of democracy in the United States and abroad.

An edgy, provocative play, that explores the nature of relationships and art, is opening at Virginia Tech. Award- winning playwright, Neil LaBute’s, 2003 drama, The Shape of Things, has been called a modern day version of Adam’s seduction by Eve. Robbie Harris has this preview.

Many lawmakers and advocates still have abolishing predatory lending practices in Virginia on their agenda… although it hasn't been discussed much this legislative session. But one organization says that since the General Assembly passed reforms, fewer people have been trapped by the high-interest loans that were supposed to be temporary assistance for those with a financial crisis.

The Virginia Senate has voted for a transportation-funding bill that increases the gas tax, removes most of Governor McDonnell’s proposals, and allows Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise extra revenue.

While the Newtown, Connecticut shooting has gotten the most media attention of late, last night at the State of the Union address two Virginia lawmakers honored the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting.

Peter Read of Annandale, Virginia lost his daughter Mary in the Virginia Tech shooting. He says he was honored to be the guest of Congressman Gerry Connolly at the State of the Union address.

“It’s hugely meaningful to me and obviously for my daughter Mary and for the other Hokie families.”

Democrats in the region like the jobs plan President Obama laid out last evening in his State of the Union address. But Republicans are wary of its price tag.

The president is calling for a lot of investments that could affect Virginia, including transportation, first responders and the state's growing high tech industry. Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott says it’s a plan that will put the economy back on track because it isn’t focused solely on cutting the federal budget like the scheduled sequestration would do.

Governor McDonnell took part in a news conference this week – welcoming representatives of the pharmaceutical industry to Richmond, and singing the praises of clinical trials in the Commonwealth. That might seem like a noble thing, but it could also have been part of a push to improve the industry’s image as it protects future profits through new state laws.

Legislation to change the process for evaluating public school teachers has cleared the Virginia Senate and is now on its way to the Governor.

The bill is a compromise negotiated among major stakeholders, including the Virginia Education Association, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and the McDonnell administration. But as that didn’t stop a senator from unsuccessfully proposing a few last-minute amendments.